Bottle-labeling machine.



PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

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No. 826,103. PATBNTED JULY 17, 1906.

T. W. HIGKEY.

BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED HAY31, 1905.

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No.'826,103. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. T. W. HIOKEY.

BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY a1, 1905.

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BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE-LABELING MACHINE.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed May 31,1905. Serial No. 263,114.

To all 1077,0152, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY W. HICKEY, of North Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Labeling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to machines for automatically lifting bottles from a case, applying labels thereto, and replacing them and it partly consists in an improvement on the machine described in the patent issued June 14, 1904, to Thomas K. Keith, No. 762,826.

In the present machine the bottles and the holder by which they are supported instead of being moved to bring successive bottles into position to be acted on by the labeling shifting the bottle-liftin mechanism are held stationary and the lifting means and label-affixing mechanism are moved step by step instead, as is more fully described in the following specification.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a plan view. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent partial plan views of the under side of the bottle-support and the mechanism for means into osition beneath successive ottles held on the support, such mechanism being shown in difierent positions. Fig. 7 represents a detail elevation of the locking means for the bottle-lifter. Fig. 8 represents a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 9 represents a plan view, partially in section, of the lab el-aflixing mechanism.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

1 represents a stationary table which is rigidly supported and constitutes a holder or i a rigid elongated support for the case 2, containing bottles 3, arranged in parallel rows in the usual manner. These bottles are lifted one at a time from the case into position where they can be acted upon by the label-afiixing mechanism for attaching a label by means of a reciprocating plunger 4. This plunger is normally contained in a socket or sheath 5, carried at the end of a horizontal bar 6, which is pivoted at the end of an arm 7, that in turn is partially rotatable around the axis of the vertical shaft 8. The arm 7 is provided with sleeve 9, which loosely surthe plunger.

rounds shaft 8 and supports the arm so that it may project laterally and turn freely about shaft 8. As the bar 6 is pivoted to the end of this arm, it will be seen that its free outer end, which carries the plunger 4, is movable in all directions and into any desired position beneath the bottlesupport 1.

Shaft 8 constitutes the main drive for the parts of the machine and is itself operated from a pulley 10 on a counter-shaft 11 through gears 12 13 and bevel-gears 14 15. Pulley 10 is normally disconnected from gear 12, but may be thrown into frictional engagement therewith by an arm 16, operated manually through a treadle 17, attached to a rock-shaft 18, to which also the arm 16 is connected. Shaft 8 carries on its upper end a bevel-gear 19, which drives a horizontal shaft 20, carried by the arm 7, this shaft having a cam 21 and the latter actuating an arm 22, pivoted to a bracket 221 through a stud 23. This arm drives the plunger 4 in vertical reciprocation through a link 24, lever 25, pivoted to a bracket 26, depending from arm 7, levers 27, pivoted to a bracket 28, carried by bar 6, and a link 29, pivoted to the lever 27 and to Thelevers 25 and 27 are arranged with one arm of the former resting upon an arm of the latter, so that when the arm referred to of lever 25 is depressed by the elevation of arm 22 the arm of lever 27,-

engaged therewith, is correspondingly depressed and the plunger is elevated. The weight of the parts normally tends to hold the plunger in its depressed position and to retain stud 23 in contact with the cam 21.

Also pivotally connected to the end of arm 7 above the bar 6 is a second bar 30, which is rigidly connected to the bar 6, so as to be correspondingly moved when the latter is shifted from one position to another to act upon successive bottles. This bar carries a suitable label-afixing mechanism. It will be seen that the arm 7 and bars 6 and 30 together constitute what may be termed a single articulate arm-carrying means for lifting bottles and for affixing labels thereto, which means may be moved into any required position.

The bar 6 carries mechanism for Shifting itself and the bottle-lifter and the label-applying ,devices, such mechanism consisting of pawls 31 and 32, carried by slides 33, adapted to reciprocate in guideways 34, formed on the sides of the arm 6. These slides have projected from them studs 35 36, which form IIO wrist-pins for connecting-rods 37 38, respectively, the latter being pivotally connected to the ends of oppositely-extending crank-arms 39 40. These crank arms are carried by a vertical'shaft 41, journaled in the arms 7, 6, and at their points of pivotal connection, which are in vertical alinement, arm 39 bein attached at the extreme end of the shaft and arm 40 supported solely by this arm through the crank-pin 391, which connects rod 38 with arm 39. Arm 40 is parallel to arm 39 and extends across the axis of shaft 41 below the end of the same, being separated therefrom by a distance as great as the thickness of the crank end of rod 38. The other end of arm 40 carries a pin 401, which constitutes the connection for the other rod 37. It will be seen that the manner of connecting the crank-arms above described provides room for the connecting-rod 38 to pass between the arms, so there is no obstruction interposed to the complete rotation of the shaft, which is kept in continuous rotation by shaft 20 through the medium of bevel-gears 42 43. It will be seen that as shaft 41 is rotated pawls 31 32 are reciprocated in opposite directions. These pawls are pivoted to their respective slides and are free to be turned in one direc tion, but are held rigid against rotation in the other direction by pins 44 45, in contact with which the pawls are yieldingly held by same the pawl is These pawls are adapted to cooperate with studs 47 48, projecting downwardly from the bottom of bottle-support and arranged in rows parallel to the rows in which the bottles are contained. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show the relative arrangement of the studs and of the cooperating pawls. As the shaft 41 is rotated and pawl 31 drawn toward engaged successively with. the studs 47 to carry the bar 6 and lifting mechanism toward the left of the machine, and as the other pawl 32 is moved away from the shaft it is caused to engage with studs 48 to push the bar in the opposite direction, provided the lateral position of the bar is such that such engagement is possible.

In order to adjust the bar laterally, I provide on the under side of the supporting-table 1 a camroove 50, which has straight portions parallel-with the rows of studs and bottles, these straight portions being connected by curves at the ends to form a sinuous path and the outermost straight portions being connected together. The bar 6 has a stud 51 projectin into the cam-groove and guided by the wal s of the latter, which constitute cam elements, so as to move in a predetermined path. VVhen the stud 51 is in the portion 50 of the groove, pawl 31 is located so that it will engage with the fixed studs 47; but pawl 32 is so located that it moves in a path beside the fixed studs and does not engage any of them. Thereby the end of arm 6 1s caused to move toward the springs 46.

left. When, however, it has reached the end of this portion of the groove, its momentum causes it to swing about the curved part of the groove into the straight portion 50 and then its pawl 32 is so placed that it will engage the fixed studs 48, while pawl 31 is incapable of acting upon any of the studs 47. In a similar manner the pin 51 is caused to travel through the portions 50 and 50 of the cam-groove, following the direction of the arrows placed thereon, until it reaches the end of the straight portion 50, from which it maybe moved to the beginning of 50 through the connecting-p a'th 50 The table 1 is provided with holes 52, placed to correspond with the studs and cams, and also with the usual arrangement of bottles in a case, and when either pawl reaches the limit of its motion in contact with one of the studs the plunger 4 is left in position directly under one of these holes, so that when it is actuated by the mechanism described above it will lift a bottle out of the case. The arm is locked in this position while one of the pawls is advancing to take hold of another stud by means of a locking-bolt 53, carried on the end of a lever 54, pivoted to the bar. A spring 55 presses on the lever 54 and tends to hold it, so as to project bolt 53 into one of the sockets 56 formed in the table 1. The rear end of the lever is provided with a cam-surface 56, and there is also provided a pivoted arm 57, having a pin 58 projecting under the cam-surface. This arm carries projections 59 60, which are adapted to be engaged by a projection 61, extending from stud 35, so that as the latter is reciprocated the arm 57 is alternately rocked in opposite directions and lever 54 moved so as alternately to project and retract the bolt 53.

The bevel-gear 62, by which motion is given shaft 20 to drive the pawls 31 32, is loose on said shaft and only drives the latter when a pin 63, carried by the gear, comes into contact with the pin 64 on the shaft. This form of connection allows a certain amount of play between the shaft 20 and gear 62, so that when the lower arm 6 is swung quickly about one of the curved portions of the camgroove 50, whereby the motion of shafts 41 and 20 is accelerated by means of the momentum of the moving parts, it is possible for the shaft 20 to move faster than its driving mechanism, and so no excessive strain is brought upon any of the arts.

A strip of connected la els is held in a roll 65, carried by the bar 30, and fed forward, as required, by a reciprocating feeder 66, having grippers 67, which grasp the end of the strip between themselves and the body portion 66 of the feeder. The feeder is carried by a bar 68, reciprocated through an adjustable lever connection, consisting of levers 69 70, of which the former is pivoted to bar 68, and the two are connected together by an adjustconnected to shaft 41.

able pin 71. Lever is oscillated by a cam 72 on shaft 7 3, which is driven by a stud 7 4, After a label has been drawn by the feeder into position beside a bottle elevated by the plunger it is clamped tightly against the side of the bottle by an arm 75 and held in such position while two wipers 76, pivotally mounted upon an arm 77, are brought up and caused to carry the ends of the label around into engagement with the bottle to stick the label thereon. ing-arm 75 is operated by means of a cam projection on the shaft 78, which at every rotation of the shaft strikes a lever 81, which is supported upon a pivot on the arm 30 and has a pivotal connection at 81" with an arm 7 5, which is integral or rigidly connected with the clamp 75, the latter being mounted to oscillate about an axis 88. The lever 77, which carries the wipers, carries an upward projection 82, having a roll 83, which bears against a cam 84 onthe shaft 73, the lever being moved by said cam after the clamp 75 has been actuated to hold the label against the bottle. The wipers 76 are pivoted at 76 to the arm 77 and are normally held close enough together by a spring 76 so that they will engage and be separated by a bottle of any size. 76 represents stops which hold said wipers somewhat separated. The labels are separated from each other on the strip by lines of perforations which weaken the strip, so that the mere motion of the wipers to carry the ends of the labels around the bottle is sufficient to detach them. In order to separate the labels when the strip is not perforated, I provide a blade 85 upon one of the wipers. This blade, however, may be omitted. The machine also has a cooperating severing-blade 86, which is serrated on one edge for penetrating and cutting the labels and is carried by an arm 87, arranged so as to be actuated by the cam projection 80 after the label has been partially applied by the wiper. Where perforated label strips are employed, this cutter 86 is not necessary.

78 is a vertical bar located directly above the plunger and capable of reciprocating up and down. It carries on its lower end a cap 79, constituting a holder into which the mouth of the bottle is projected when the bottle is raised and which acts to steady the same.

I claim- 1. A bottle-labeling machine having a stationary support adapted to hold stationary a series of bottles, mechanism for ap lying a label, and traveling means movable aterally into proximity with one bottle after another for lifting bottles successively from said support into operative relation with said labelapplying means.

2. A bottle-labeling machine comprisin a stationary support adapted to hold a p urality of bottles, label-affixing mechanism, a

The hold-' plunger and a cooperating holder for lifting a bottle from the support into position to be acted upon by said label-affixing mechanism and steadying the bottle while being lifted and operated upon, and mechanism for shifting said plunger and holder to act upon successive bottles.

3. A bottle-labeling machine comprising a stationary support adapted to hold a plurality of bottles, label-affixing mechanism movable into positions above successive bottles, and a correspondingly-movable lifter for raising the bottles one at a time into. position to receive a label from said affixing mechanism.

4. A bottle-labeling machine comprising a stationary support adapted to hold a plurality of bottles, label-aflixing mechanism, a plunger and a cooperating holder for lifting a bottle from the support into position to be acted upon by said label-affixing mechanism and steadying the bottle while being lifted and operated .upon, mechanism for shifting said plunger and-holder to act upon successive bottles, and intermittently-acting locking means for temporarily holding the same in operative relation with the bottles.

5. A bottle-labeling machine comprising a stationary support adapted to hold a plu-' rality of bottles, label-aifixin mechanism, a reci rocating plun er beneat la said support for Tifting the bott lesto be acted on by the label-affixing mechanism, mechanism for reciprocating the plunger, projections on said support, and pawls connected to the plungeroperating mechanism for shifting the plunger irlito operative relation with successive bott es.

6. A bottle-labeling machine comprisin a stationary support adapted to hold a urality of bottles, an articulated arm, labef ar fixing mechanism carried by said arm above the support, a bottle-lifter carried by the arm below the support, mechanism for actuating the lifter, and mechanism carried by the arm for shifting the lifter into proximity with successive bottles.

7. A bottle-labeling machine comprisin a stationary support adapted to hold a urality of bottles, an articulated arm, labef affixing mechanism carried by said arm above the support, a bottle-lifter carried by the arm below the support, mechanism for actuating the lifter, studs on the support, a reciprocating pawl carried by the arm, and means for moving said pawl to engage the studs and shift the lifter into proximity with successive bottles.

8. A bottle-labeling machine com risin a stationary support adapted to hol bott es arranged thereon in rows, a movable arm, label-afiixing mechanism pivotally mounted on said arm and projecting from the end thereof above the support, a bar projecting pivotally from the arm beneath the support, a bottlelifter carried by the bar, mechanism for actuating the lifter for raising bottles from the sup ort into position for receiving labels from sai afliXing mechanism, studs and cam elements on the support occupying predetermined relations with the rows of bottles, a projection on the bar engaged with said cam elements, pawls on the bar, and mechanism for reciprocatin the pawls to engage the studs and move t e lifter in a path determined by the cam elements into proximity with successive bottles.

9. In a machine of the character described, a bottle-support, studs mounted thereon, a pivoted arm, a bar mounted on the arm and angularly movable with respect thereto, a bottle-lifter carried by the bar and adapted to raise bottles from the support, a pawl carried by the bar and reciprocable thereon, and a shaft movable bodily with the bar and connected with the pawl so as to reciprocate the pawl by its rotation, the pawl in its move- 10. A bottle-labeling machine comprising a stationary support adapted to hold a plurality of bottles, label-affixing mechanism movable into positions above successive bottles, a corres ondingly-movable lifter for raising the bott es one at a time into position to receive a label from said afiixing mechanism, and driving mechanism for so moving said label-affixing mechanism and bottle-lifter, said mechanism including a shaft and a gear loosely mounted thereon and adapted to connect positively with the shaft at a certain point.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TIMOTHY W. HICKEY. Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. BROWN, E. BATOHELDER. 

